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Wat Traimit
Wat Traimit, Temple of the Golden Buddha, is
situated at one end of Chinatown, very near to the
Hualamphong Train Station. Entry to the temple is via an
ornately beautiful huge symbolic Chinese gate which will
set you the right mood for your visit. The temple is
believed to exist since the 13th century. Although Wat
Traimit itself pales in comparison to other temples in
Bangkok with its rather modest architecture, it is the
900 years old Golden Buddha inside that attracts
visitors from all around the world. The Buddha image, in
the mara conquering attitude, is the world’s largest
pure gold Buddha statue. It is nearly 10 feet high and
weighs over 5 tons, and has a worth of 14 million US
Dollars.
History
The serene and rich statue has also a very interesting
history to it. When the Burmese were about to sack the
city, it was covered in plaster to hide its value from
the invaders. It remained disguised for two centuries
and thought to be worth very little. It was only 1957,
in the process of reinstalling it, that accidentally
some of the plaster peeled off after a work accident,
and the beautiful golden image was exposed. This
immensely valuable statue, in pure gold remains an
architectural delight and one of the most fascinating
tourist draws to the country.
If you are a first time visitor to Thailand and want to
acquaint yourself with the local culture and tradition,
a visit to some of its famous temples like the Wat
Traimit would give you ample scope to witness the
same. Visitors to the temple can have a glimpse of the
Buddhist monks in their traditional attire. With a fee
of 20 Baht and good connections with the Hualamphong
railway station, the temple is easily accessible. |
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